Tahoe Conservation

Source: pubs.usgs.gov/fs/FS-100-97/

The Lake Tahoe Basin is 506 square miles (mi2). The surface area of the Lake is 192 mi2 (38%), and the watershed area is 314 mi2. Most of the land in the basin is mountainous, limiting development mainly to relatively flat-lying areas along tributary streams, such as the southern part of the basin within the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek Basins. About 78 percent of the basin is at altitudes from about 6,500 ft to greater than 10,000 ft. This altitude range, combined with other factors such as prevailing storm systems from the Pacific Ocean, causes an unequal distribution of precipitation throughout the basin. More than 80 inches per year (in/yr) of precipitation, mostly as snow, falls on the western side of the basin, whereas about 30 in/yr falls on the eastern side. Links:
Progress Report Federal Actions At Lake Tahoe, 2002
Tahoe Donner Development


last updated 15 Feb 2007
West Shore Info | Ski Info | Directions | Homewood Map.